Dahlias. Philadelphia has an amateur who has stuck to the Dahlia through all its varying phases of popularity, and now that it is regaining high favor with all classes, he feels justly proud of his faithful love. He raises annually a large number of seedlings, and many of them have proved superior to either French or English varieties. Mr. Gerhard Schmitz deserves the thanks of all Dahlia lovers for his persistent and successful efforts for their improvement.

Does Sap Freeze in the Winter? We find in a recent number of the Rural New Yorker, an article by our friend J. R. Temple, on the Gardener's Monthly's recent article on this subject. As we like to have all that can be said for or against a position, set side by side together, we give the major part of the communication:

"I regard the editor of the Gardener's Monthly as one of the ablest vegetable physiologists living; but he is not alone in holding and teaching the doctrine that a temperature of 320 cannot be endured by a plant and the life of the plant be preserved. But notwithstanding these high authorities, whom I delight to follow in most things, on an appeal to the plant itself, which they have encouraged me to make, I feel compelled to accept the statements of the plant in opposition, as it appears to me, to their teachings.

Prof. Leconte teaches that the sap of trees and shrubs does become frozen without the slightest damage to them. Pictet and Manrico, of Geneva, made observations on a horse chestnut tree from

1796 to 1800, which developed the fact that there was not more than 0.04 of a degree's difference between the temperature of the centre of the tree and the atmosphere surrounding it. In 1826, Holder found trees below the freezing point and in a congealed state, without injury to their vitality. Many other experiments, made by the most able and careful observers, go to prove the same point. During the past winter we have had a temperature as low as 330 Fah. It froze through thirteen-inch brick walls. Are we to believe that the sap in an apple tree three inches in diameter could resist such a degree of cold and not congeal? Even the branches and small twigs endure it and live. Now one of three things is true: 1 The sap does not freeze at all, or, 2. it freezes without injury to the plant; or, 3. there is no sap in the tree or plant at the time of the cold weather As to the first, we have the evidence of our senses that it is frozen. By chopping into a tree during a long continued spell of very cold weather, it will be found that the cells of the wood are filled with small particles o ice. A turnip may be taken from a pit so hard that it can scarcely be cut with a knife; by scraping, it will be found full of icy particles. That a tree or plant can survive this freezing is evident from the

fact that forest trees do survive the cold, even of high northern latitudes. As suggested by the correspondent of the New England Farmer, the roots of vegetables do freeze and survive. That they are frozen is evident from the fact, as I stated above, they are found full of ice, and if one is taken and

thawed in a warm atmosphere, or in tepid water, its texture will be destroyed and it will be soft and spongy; while those left in the pit till warm weather will live and grow. I have observed this phenomenon often. Whether there is less sap in a tree in the fall than in the spring, or whether it is only doubts the presence of sap in sufficient quantities to less active, I am not able to say; but any one who freeze, may easily satisfy himself of its presence by filling his stove with green wood on a cold day and sitting and listening to it frying, provided he can get it hot enough to fry. That a frozen turnip is full of sap is evident from the fact that a frozen turthawed in a warm, dry atmosphere it becomes a nip is as heavy as the same not frozen; and when mere sponge saturated with water, and if left alone it would have grown."

It is hard to tell what our friend is driving at. He tells us distinctly that a turnip frozen, when thawed in a warm, dry atmosphere, becomes a mere sponge saturated with water. Of course we all know that one "not frozen" does not come to this condition under the same circumWe suppose Mr. T. means to say that the frozen turnip lost its vitality when it turned to a mere sponge," which is exactly what we contend.

stances.

Trees Given to the Government. Much talk is

made in the daily papers about a gift of 30,000 seedling Scotch Pines by an European firm to the American Government. The Government (6 proposes to distribute them at once in order to ascertain whether or not they are adapted to extensive planting in the West." It is rather strange that the "Government" should thus want to "ascertain" a fact already well known to thousands of Western men, who well know that the Scotch Pine does as well as any other of the hardy pine trees. If the "Government" will write to Douglass, Bryant, or any other of the many pioneers in Western planting, it may find all it wishes to "ascertain " about the matter. The ignorance displayed in this matter explains many of the mysteries of the few years past. Not long since it was proposed by an act of Congress, suggested it was said at Washington, to allow trees imported by amateurs to come in duty free, while all imported by nurserymen were to pay duty. We believe, for no one knows but a few hours at a time whether a law is or is not-that this proposition never became the law. But supposing it was made in good faith, it must have been through a belief that Western nurserymen were a poor set, and need not be considered or consulted. We may say for the information of the "Government, that Scotch Firs, Larches, and many other timber trees are

At first we were disposed to think this "gift distribution" would do no harm at any ratethat it might encourage many to experiment who would not otherwise ever be interested, but on second thought it will probably work the other way. Packages will be sent from now to middle of June to hundreds of persons who care little for them, and the result will be they will nearly all die, and then we shall have newspaper paragraphs by the score that "the Scotch Pine has been extensively tried and found to be utterly unadapted to the Western climate."

An Incident in the Life of Dr. Torrey. We do not know how true the statements in the following paragraph from a daily paper may be, but similar trifles have fixed the bent of many a distinguished man :

manner :

"The late Dr. John Torrey, the distinguished scientist, is said to have first acquired a taste for scientific pursuits in the following remarkable His father held some official station which required him to visit the prisons of the city of New York, and the lad frequently accompanied the parent on these tours of inspection. In the old State Prison, which at that early day was somewhere about Twentythird street, and situated in the country, they found a man in the office of the superintendent who had been condemned to serve out a short term, but was generally believed to have been innocent of any offence. This prisoner was taken into the office to keep the books. He was a man of learning, and especially a fine botanist. Whenever young Torrey appeared at the prison the book-keeper would point out from the window some plants growing in the vacant lots opposite, and ask the boy to go and fetch them; the two then sat down in the office to analyze and dissect the specimens, presenting the curious spectacle of a prisoner in convict's costume teaching a well dressed boy. The lad never forgot the lessons, and from the taste thus acquired dates his application to the study of botany, in which science he was destined to achieve the most distinguished success.''

enormous; and Asparagus is being raised in immense quantities over other years. Much difficulty is however felt in marketing, and prices will perhaps rule low.

This has

P. O. Rulings-with a Crooked Ruler. And now our poor publisher is in a quandary. He has to prepay postage to Holland, Belgium, Australia, and South America, in which distant places he has a fair list of subscribers. been 72 cents each per year. Now the "ruler " decides this is wrong, and 96 cents is the " legal fare." He collects from his subscribers in advance, resting on the good faith of his respected Uncle at Washington, and of course will rather go to sleep and dream over being plundered by the Government, than enter into distant negotiations with numberless subscribers for the paltry sum of each, but a great deal to him on the whole.

It may be that one of these days the postal wheel will turn round, informing us that two cents is all that is required for these distant

postages, when we shall have already collected ninety-six cents from our unfortunate subscribers. Well we know that there is a "conscience fund' always open for us where we can return all we thus unwittingly rob others of; but unfortunately we are not in a position to vote ourselves back salary pay," when the joke is on the other side.

American Pomological Society. The coming

quarter centennial of the American Pomological Society, at Boston, will undoubtedly be a brilliant feature in the annals of Pomology. Besides what the circular of the Society, published in another column indicates, we hear that the distinguished scientists, Professor Gray and Agazzis, will take part in the proceedings. There will be an additional programme of particulars

issued next month.

Horticulture and the Centennial. The Penn

sylvania Horticultural Society is working energetically for the success of the Centennial. The early neglect of horticulture by the Centennial Committee, of which we complained in our past issues, has been tardily atoned for by the appointment of a committee. We do not know any of the gentlemen named except Col. Furnas, of Nebraska, but if they are all like him, they are the right kind of material to make a com

[Whether it is best to cut back the young trees depends on the reason for cutting back, of which there are two. Sometimes it is necessary to cut back somewhat to save life. The roots may be dry, or there may be proportionately but few roots. In this case we cut back young plants the first year, or very often the second year. For this reason, however, we seldom cut much more than the young twigs, leaving a good proportion of the leading stem. To cut back for making a straight stem, we leave the whole matter until the plant has made an abundance of! roots, and then cut back pretty close to the ground. The Norway and Sycamore will generally bear this after the first season's growth, though sometimes it is best to leave it to the second. The notes on trimming orchard trees will be very acceptable.

DISEASE IN THE DEODAR CEDAR.-An Alabama correspondent writes: "We have in our yard the most beautiful ornamental tree I have ever seen; about thirty feet high, rich in foliage and graceful in form-a Deodar Cedar. Some three or four weeks ago, it began to show a deadness in one of the limbs. Since then several other limbs are affected, and all the foliage is beginning to turn of a brownish tint, and to fall off. My wife and I are much distressed about it, and fear we will lose our pet tree. Can you tell me what to do for this sick tree? What is the matter, and what treatment shall we bestow? Something must be done or our favorite will die. Will you have the kindness to tell me what is to be done?

[Never having seen or heard of any such disease in the Deodar Cedar, we were at a loss to know what reply to make to this when it was first received, but we have since learned that a small borer attacks the trees in the South, and this is probably what is the matter in this case. Specimens of the diseased part would be acceptable.]

attention to it, as these things need referring to again and again. There is one original feature in Mr. D.'s plan. The connecting piece, after being shaved on its inner face, and cut the ex ct length, is nailed in instead of being tied. It is therefore firmer, and we think this an advantage.

THE BLOOD LEAVED PEACH.-In a recent number we stated that the blood leaved Peach we had seen from Mississippi, had small flowers, while that described by a recent correspondent had large flowers. Since then we have seen the We were mistaken: there is but the one kind. same plant flower again. It has large flowers.

TRANSPARENT Blue Wash.-A correspondent sends us a sample of blue wash for shading greenhouses in summer time. General Pleas anton's paper has made blue popular, but those who think they are following him forget that he only used blue glass in alternate strips with common glass. In the remarks made on his paper by those in Europe who have criticized it, this fact seems to have been overlooked. Although we have not been able to feel that the crops in General Pleasanton's greenhouse was wholly due to those alternate strips of blue, yet it is but justice to his paper to notice the weak point of his critics.

In regard to blue powder, we can, of course, offer no opinion. Most plant-houses in America require shading of some kind during the hot weather, and it is just possible that this may do as well as the Rye flour, and whitening commonly used. These things are not well understood yet, and we are glad of any experiment in that direction.

In most washes used, a difficulty is found in either keeping it on long enough, or getting it off when not needed. Our correspondent says his wash will come off when hot water is used.

LAWN GRASS.-B., Pittsburg, Pa., says:— "I want to sow a small piece of lawn this fall, and on consulting authorities I find three things named by different writers-mixed lawn grass, rye grass, and green grass-which do you regard as the best ?"

[Mixed lawn grasses are mostly the other two, with a little sweet vernal or other English grasses mixed with them, and which soon die out in a lawn in our climate. Rye grass is rather coarse, and it will not bear to be cut very